In which Kingsley Resigns
by thegirlintheglasses
Summary: Kingsley wants a change so telling his junior minister is the first thing he must do. Kingsley/Percy friendship.


"I'm resigning as Minister"

Kingsley's voice, booming yet not overpowering, invaded Percy's aural field. Percy looked at the man who had been his boss and one of his closest friends for nine years. He blinked at him and went back to his book, something the junior education Minister Granger had thrust at him muttering something about being given menial tasks due to her young age.

_Twilight_…apparently it was considered as an example of Muggle Literature and would be used for study in the syllabus. Hermione had been apoplectic with rage and had given it to him so he could agree. She could not stand for its removal as a pending educational text due to her presumed bias as a muggle-born and had to give to another Minister to find a reason. He turned the page.

Kingsley continued knowing the younger wizard was listening and probably had known his intention for a while now. "I've been asked to preside over Hogwarts…"

"They're always asking what made you say yes?" Percy asked shortly making a note on the parchment he'd already covered with reasons as not to include the book. Kingsley settled onto the divan parallel to the armchair Percy had taken over. He could read the tension in how Percy held the book, too tight. He wasn't reading anymore just staring at the page waiting for Kingsley to speak to he too could react.

"How do you know I've said yes?" He asked finally watching as the tension visibly left Percy's frame.

"Answering a question with a question how very political of you Minister." He said wryly facing his friend now, "I knew because you were only biding what you thought was a suitable amount of time till you could leave the country in the hands of another and teach. You love teaching…it's why you were so keen to expand the Auror division, so keen to take on Junior Ministers." He tapped his fingers on the book's hard front cover tracing the image of the apple, "you want to go there. You like fixing things…you fixed the government and now you'll fix the school…where oh where will the amazing Kingsley strike next?"

The light from the hundreds of candles in the room, a sort of lounging post-dinner discussion room, had an unstable, efter-changing quality in how the shadows were faint but never still. It made Percy look younger than his years, lines that shouldn't be on a face so young but were there all the same smoothed out by the flickering lights.

Kingsley chuckled, his laugh a low rumble in his large chest. "True…I want to teach…I considered it before…I'm an older man now Percy,"

"Still younger than Fudge when he _began_ office" Percy countered with a movement of his hand saying that there were few times he could bring Fudge up as a comparable example to Kingsley, in anything.

"Younger than Fudge yes Percy, but" Kingsley continued, acknowledging the movement and its implications. "But…I want a change…you can get stuck in this job…Merlin knows Fudge did…and I don't need to do it anymore…I have nothing more I can give to it…except my time and my fading youth…that which I would much rather spend doing something new or with my family."

The book was snapped shut and placed with unmerited care in Percy's opinion on the arm of the chair. "Alright then. Congratulations you'll take Hogwarts by storm." There was no sarcasm in Percy's eyes or voice, none Kingsley could see or knew he would as his dark gold met Percy's grey green. They made an odd pair, something they were well aware of. Opposites in almost every physical aspect and differing vastly in a fair few others. Shacklebolt was not overly tall but cut an impressive figure with his dark richly coloured robes and his ebony skin. The gold eyes, a sign of pureblood breeding were large and to many unreadable, but to most, kind. He carried his extra weight proudly and had a jovial nature which he expressed freely.

Weasley on the other hand was thin and pale with the wild red hair characteristic of his family. He was tall, lanky in youth with age only adding the correct poise so the lanky turned to an awkward elegance. Quiet and reserved about himself he identified people's weaknesses rapidly and with a few barbed comments he took them apart. The hair, though inherent of his family of an unruly nature, had been kept under control in a sleek crop to the nape of his neck. The cut by no means diminished the richess of the hue which stood out almost angrily against the pale of his skin. Percy had only a scattering of visible freckles under his eyes with the rest of his skin being almost luminescent under normal light. Narrow, never quite still fingers danced when he thought and debated.

Shacklebolt had seen Percy relaxed, had seen his deputy happy and laughing. It was not uncommon but it was true that it would only happen around a small group of people. Kingsley felt lucky to be included in that group.

"Thank you." He said smiling widely, he could only do two styles of smiles, thin and no teeth or wide and flashing his pearly whites. Both could be as sincere or caustic as he liked. Percy was a master of smiles and like an animal only showed his teeth if he felt threatened.

Percy felt himself being appraised and wondered if he should stand and hug Kingsley. He didn't do hugs. Kingsley did, but he knew Percy didn't and so couldn't be waiting for one. There were few who knew Percy as well as Kingsley and those who did Percy had to admit he trusted. Not always liked, but trusted. Granger was another one in that circle, someone who he'd grown close to during Hogwarts but only become her friend once leaving it.

"You're nervous." It wasn't a question. Kingsley was stating a fact. Something in his ridiculously majestic voice made his stated facts questions, one was implored to answer them.

"It's only natural as you're leaving…it means someone has to step up to take over." Percy reached for the book, dreading the final few chapters,

"I've put your name forward as my preferred candidate to the Wizengamot." The book stayed untouched. Percy looked at his old friend.

"Um…" he felt 14 years old again…he'd predicted almost word perfect what Kingsley was going to say but hearing Kingsley actually say it aloud had made his stomach decide it was having a rave and his other vital organs especially his heart were invited.

The soon to be ex-Minister for Magic appraised the lean young man in front of him. "Yes I suppose it was a foolish decision…I mean…two Exceeds Expectations in your N.E.W.T.S with the rest as Outstandings, how underachieving. Forget the fact that you were taking two extra classes and needed a time turner…I mean how ridiculous!" Kingsley smoothed the purple velvet of his thinking robes quite enjoying the look of shell-shocked Percy.

"Hmm…Battle of Hogwarts, valiant war efforts, one of the sharpest minds for centuries, a fine sportsman, master orator, cruelest and most painfully truthful tongue in my cabinet, dedicated, loyal, brave, surprisingly charismatic, noble, sexy in dress robes, sexy out of dress robes."

"KINGSLEY!" Percy squeaked at the last two. Kingsley chuckled again,

"I was listing your many fine qualities and you looked like a goblin was urinating into your favourite book I had to say something for you to snap out of it." His eyes twinkled as Percy flushed a fierce pink, "I'd probably have to ask Clearwater about that though." Percy raised an eyebrow at him.

Kingsley hated him for a split second for being able to do it so perfectly. His rare moments of irrational ire were often at the hands of his younger ministers and their lack of awareness with their good looks. With which they were all blessed. He brought himself back to what Percy was saying,

"_Noble?_"

"Ah so you were listening, yes noble, you are noble Percy. Not blinded by the idea of being noble that you don't get things done like Dumbledore, but noble in the best ways he was. Why are you smiling?" Kingsley asked as Percy's lips quirked into a strange half smile.

"I've been compared to Dumbledore before but not so kindly." Kingsley indicated his confusion by frowning slightly, Percy went on, "oh just about how we shared a predilection for being saintly secret keepers." Kingsley stared on baffled, Percy sighed,

"On our knees paying lip service." Kingsley blushed, though one would be hard pushed to tell, Percy smirked, "I thought it was quite clever actually. So no…I don't think you'll have to bother asking Clearwater about my…attributes and skill set." He scribbled a note on his paper about the book, _condemns teenage lust but at the same time encourages the young to pursue someone to lust after_.

"Is that what you're concerned about?" Kingsley asked slowly, "that people will not warm to you because…" _you like men_. He'd known for years but neither of them really discussed romantic affairs, Percy had Hermione and MacMillan for that and he himself was happily married. In any event it did not matter, the British Ministry of Magic had a very relaxed view on such issues. So relaxed that the view didn't explicitly exist. It still raised a lot of eyebrows and caused muttering but more an issue of contention were the troublesome bloodlines and people tended to be more angry about them.

"Oh Merlin's beard no," Percy exclaimed, "they could hardly use that as a reason to dislike me, case in point Merlin and Arthur's relationship was hardly platonic…even the muggles have caught on now. No I'm perfectly suited for the job unless anyone digs deep enough about my role during The Dark Lord's reign." The candles flickered seemingly in response to the title though it was more to do with the elderly Errol flying in through the window.

The owl landed on the back of Percy's chair and he reached up to take the letter from its deliverer.

"If I were you though Kingsley," Percy went on reading the letter swiftly and sighing, "my first act as head master would be to ensure the charms on the locks of the Prefect's bathroom did not wear off without warning to the occupants." He penned a reply and fastened it to Errol's leg feeding the bird a treat from the pocked of his robes before standing to take him to the window.

"I take it that's where the comparison to the Supreme Mugwhump comes in" Kingsley mused more than a little curious, perhaps unhealthily, in his younger friend's youth. Percy gave him an enigmatic smile.

"Naturally," Percy tossed his closely cropped mane of fiery hair and fixed Kingsley with a haughty stare, "as if I'd ever be caught out by anything other than inadequacy I could not foresee or control." Kingsley laughed conceding the point.

"Where are you going?" He asked as Percy scooped up the book and his scribbling.

"To see dear Hermione to help her case for this proposed piece of literature for the muggle studies approved reading list." He moved towards the door gathering his arrears as he went.

"Percy." Kingsley rumbled, Percy stopped and met his gaze calmly.

"Thank you for suggesting me to the Wizengamot Kingsley, I am more than capable of doing the job and am appalled it took you so long to resign," his smile grew thin, "my only worry is the recent announcement that Ginevra's reporting is really starting to lift off. She's being hailed as the Rita Skeeter with sensible questions." He shook his head and opened his mouth in mock horror,

"My worry is how I'm going to deal with a family member who is one of the most annoyingly inquisitive witches in the world who gets results. My personal life will be all over the front page."

"No doubt you'll have blackmail ready for some mutually-assured destruction." Kingsley commented warmly. He received a grin in return which threw him off-guard,

"Of course Minister." Percy indicated his head,

"You should think about your first act as minister" Kingsley called after him teasingly, Percy laughed,

"I've thought about it already Sir, it'll be changing the rule of presumed Muggle-born bias so that when Granger wants to cause a fuss about something, as she is wont to rightly do, then she doesn't have to make me read anything like this abomination of a novel ever again!"

The door swung shut behind the future Minister for Magic's retreating back while Kingsley chuckled to himself.


End file.
